Professor Emeritus Morimichi Watanabe Passes Away

Contact

Dr. Morimichi Watanabe, professor emeritus of political science at LIU Post, passed away on April 1, 2012. He was 85. Dr. Watanabe was a member of the faculty at LIU Post from 1963 until his retirement on August 31, 2009. During his long and distinguished career he established himself as one of the world's foremost authorities on the 15th-century German cardinal, philosopher and political theorist Nicholas of Cusa. Dr. Watanabe co-authored the book "Nicholas of Cusa – A Companion to his Life and his Times," which was published October 1, 2011, and more than 80 scholarly articles and reviews. He was the former president of the American Cusanus Society and editor of its newsletter, as well as a member of the Scholarly Advisory Board of the Cusanus-Gesellschaft in Germany and an honorary advisor to the Japanese Cusanus Society.

Dr. Watanabe's door was always open to students. His courses in political theory, medieval culture and East Asian politics were consistently full and received glowing reviews. Known for his integrity, dedication and kindness, Dr. Watanabe was revered by his students and peers alike. As one colleague said in 2006, when Dr. Watanabe was the inaugural recipient of the LIU Post Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Service, "There is no one who doesn't have the highest respect for him, not only as a scholar and a teacher, but as a man."

A teacher and law student in his native Japan, Dr. Watanabe came to the Unites States on a fellowship in 1950 to study at Princeton University. He then attended Columbia University, where he earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in political theory and comparative government. Dr. Watanabe accepted an appointment as assistant professor at LIU Post in 1963. He became an associate professor in 1966 and a full professor in 1971. While on the faculty at LIU Post, Dr. Watanabe has been a visiting professor at the University of Tokyo, Keio University, Himeji Dokkyo University and Seigakuin University in Japan. He also established an exchange program with Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo.

Messages of condolence may be sent to:Watanabe Familyc/oDepartment of Political Science/International StudiesLIU Post720 Northern BoulevardBrookville, N.Y. 11548